131–140 of 196 posts
Reminded me of a small lyric of a song that very roughly translates to "Drink and empty your glasses, because this is the moment. You can never be sure if you're here tomorrow".
Enjoy life while and when you can my fellow earthlings.
I always struggle with balancing the advice given in pieces like this. The author suggested that they "eat their cake today" suggesting that putting off pleasure is a useless denial. Death could come for us at any moment, but I can't live like I'm dieing every day. There is just a mountain of nuance and self reflection between living some bohemian lifestyle where every moment must be filled with something and some st…
I'm of the belief that life is inherently suffering and really has no meaning. You can give your own meaning to it but it all seems pointless. (as I get ready for work to sit at a desk for 8 hours)
Live life, minimize regrets, have fun, enjoy it while lasts. I have discussed end of life issues with my kids, so they have an idea of what to expect. Even though I'm not looking forward to it, I'm not afraid of it.
I take our caskets and hearses out to public events to provide insight and hopefully get people to think about and openly talk about death, trying to make it less taboo.
Personally, I participate in a monthly death cafe, help preserve history by volunteering at our local cemetery, helping to run events, assist taking care of the grounds, repair and preserve headstones.
"Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is the same" is quite profound.
Just moved from a big house in the countryside on a few acres to a rowhouse in the city and I am so, so much happier here. I had a lot of suicidal ideation when I lived in the middle of nowhere. I see friendly people every day.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Right! This whole life thing is about striking a balance between "eat your cake today" and "spend your day in the field cultivating wheat to make the flour to make more cake in the future". In every moment of my life there has been some "cake" I could have "eaten" that would have been more enjoyable than all the hours I spent up in the middle of the night with screaming babies. But on my deathbed I'm certain it will…
Your children are your cake.
I always struggle with balancing the advice given in pieces like this. The author suggested that they "eat their cake today" suggesting that putting off pleasure is a useless denial. Death could come for us at any moment, but I can't live like I'm dieing every day. There is just a mountain of nuance and self reflection between living some bohemian lifestyle where every moment must be filled with something and some st…
Balance. The extreme of living for today only or living for tomorrow only will mean you are under serving your present or future self. Time is short so it’s wise to give to your present day self. Also you don’t want to rob your future self, so investing in your future is also important. Extremes are easier to manage. With balance you’ll have the choice and its burden to decide between today and tomorrow.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this common truism is less true that it sounds at first blush. Sure, nobody wishes they spent more time "grinding away" at work. But I think lots of people find a calling in their work, and do indeed wish they had been able to spend more time in its pursuit, while also wishing they had spent more time with their family. Just to take the most extreme kind of example, I think scientists who have really hit on b…
I don't disagree that many people find personal satisfaction in their work, beyond seeing it just as a source of money. I do too. Your point about time being zero-sum is a poignant one. Everyone wishes they had more hours in the day to spend doing things they like. But the question is about how we spend that marginal hour, and I think oftentimes it is better spent on family, friends or hobbies than our day jobs.